UES Hospital Must Return Photos Of Sex Abuse Victims: Lawyers

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Sex abuse victims of a long-time Rockefeller University doctor who was hailed as a "miracle worker" stood in front of the Upper East Side institution Tuesday with their lawyers to demand the hospital turn over any medical records that may contain nude images taken of victims under the guise of medical research.

Rockefeller University Hospital admitted in October that the institution was aware that Dr. Reginald Archibald may have molested, raped and photographed children between the ages of 6 and 16 from the 1940s to the 1980s. In the wake of the admission, lawyers representing Archibald's victims are calling on the university to "do the right thing" and turn over any illicit photographs the doctor took of them.

"Those photographs have not been returned, and we have a number of the former patients — then children now adults — who have traveled across the country to formally demand that Rockefeller University either turn over the photographs, provide answers as to where the photographs are or to alternatively get the Attorney General of New York involved investigating where those photos are," Attorney Michael Pfau said Tuesday.

The law firms Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala Law and Marsh Law Firm PLLC are representing the victims in their cases against Rockefeller. Lawyers estimated that there may be thousands of images of victims that should be considered child pornography.

Gail Coleman, who was a victim of Archibald for four years, came to New York from Washington D.C. to say that she has been "haunted" her entire life by the existence of the images. Coleman has been trying to get the photographs from the hospital since 1993, but when she was sent her medical records she found no evidence of the images.

The discovery led Coleman to believe that the photos taken by Archibald were never intended for any medical or research.

"Dr. Archibald victimized me, but for as long as these pictures are unaccounted for and are out there in the world — every single day that i don't know anything about these pictures or where they are — I am being victimized," Coleman said. "This time by the university."

Peter Katsikis, of North Carolina, said that the only visited Archibald one time, but left his office feeling confused after what was his first sexual experience. Katsikis recalled that Archibald took at least 40 photos of him in three different compromising positions. Mitch Fallik of New Mexico said Tuesday that nurses were sometimes present when Archibald took photos of him, indicating that others at Rockefeller University enabled the predatory behavior.

Both Katsikis and Fallik said that their abuse led to problems in their personal lives. Fallik said he moved to the Southwest after a falling out with his family and Katsikis said the abuse resulted in a loss of innocence and inability to connect with others.

Rockefeller University has indicated they are looking for the photos and will return victims' medical records, but haven't found any evidence of the illicit images, Pfau said Tuesday. Lawyers said they are going public with the request because the photographs are an issue of great importance to their clients.

Should Rockefeller University be unable to locate the images, lawyers are hopeful that the New York Attorney General's office can investigate the whereabouts of the images.

The statute of limitations has expired for many claims victims have against the hospital, but current possession of child pornography is a crime that would fall under the jurisdiction of the Attorney General or other state and federal law enforcement agencies.

"It doesn't matter if [the photos] were taken 10 years ago or two days ago. So whoever holds these images, whoever possess them — whether it's the institution or the individuals — they're liable for the possession of child pornography," Attorney James Marsh said. "The fact that we don't know what happened to tens of thousands of these images is very disturbing for our clients."

Marsh said that the lawyers have not yet spoken to the Attorney General's office and are counting on voluntary disclosure by Rockefeller University as a first step in locating photos of their clients.

Archibald earned medical esteem and a reputation as a "miracle worker" running a clinic for children with growth disorders at Rockefeller University for more than 30 years. On Oct. 5, the hospital released a statement that the institution investigated the doctor's conduct at the hospital in 2004 and again in 2018 — revealing that Archibald engaged in "certain inappropriate conduct during patient examinations."

The hospital's statement did not include a description of Archibald's "inappropriate conduct," but victims claim that the doctor forced victims to undress, molested them, photographed them and in some cases raped victims.

Photo by Brendan Krisel/Patch